Asking God to Remember
Open Your Bible
Psalm 73:1-28, Psalm 74:1-23
BY Tameshia Williams
Book III
While Book III contains threads of hope, it is often labeled as the “dark” book of the Psalter because of its focus on lament.
During these last few months, the news at all levels—global, national, and local—has been hard, from briefings on shootings to wars to public health crises to the impact of inflation. As I’ve processed all of this, my prayers have been made up of short sentences that carry a myriad of emotions: confusion, anger, grief, uncertainty, and the list goes on. Reading through the book of Psalms has come along at just the right time, as I sit with all that is going on around me.
As we move from the second collection of Psalms to the third, the overall tone changes to one of somberness. The psalms curated in Book III reflect some pretty difficult days in Israel’s history, where the nation’s actions, including David’s descendants, led to judgment from the Lord and oppression from other nations. Although the psalmists do not explicitly name the events, the content of their prayers reveals that they were dealing with some pretty heavy circumstances. Out of these circumstances, the psalmists poured their hearts out to the Lord. This is the case In Psalm 74, as Asaph pleads with God to remember His people.
Remember your congregation, which you purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe for your own possession. —Psalm 74:2
I can only imagine the timbre of the singer’s voice as he asks God to turn His attention to His people. Or the combination of major and minor keys that may have been accented by vocal growling or moaning to express deep emotions. There’s a lot of emphasis placed on remembrance in this psalm. Obviously, God isn’t being asked to remember because He has physically forgotten some detail or event. Asaph is asking God to turn His attention toward His people and act on their behalf.
“Why do you hold back your hand?” Asaph asks God in verse 11. How bold, and frankly, irreverential this question seems. And yet, it remains in the canon of Scripture, showing us—maybe even challenging us—that we can be completely honest in our communication with the Lord. We can express our disappointment, our wrestling, our grief, and other responses to what’s going on in life. And when we cry out to God, we come to Him from a place of trust, knowing that He, our all-powerful King (Psalm 74:12) is the only One we can turn to.
These psalms have reminded me that God’s presence is a safe space for our prayers. Sometimes they’re moderate and quiet. Sometimes they’re rough and guttural, laden with passion and emotion. Whatever the posture, our God is faithful in listening as we pour out our hearts to Him.
47 thoughts on "Asking God to Remember"
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Even when my words are raw before the Lord, I am still turning to Him. I may be angry, confused, hurt and despairing. Yet, I don’t turn away. I go to the only One Who can do anything about my situation.
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I love that God is in control; even when the world’s events may be telling us something different. We remind ourselves that God made everything and is in control of the ultimate story story.
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@Dorthy- Thinking of you today and yesterday, must be so hard, but you are so inspiring with your faith and testimony you share!! Aways Joyful! Prayers for your sister’s situation as well! HUGS
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After reading several of the comments and the devotional today, my day is starting out better than I thought it would. Some anniversaries aren’t worth remembering but some how the painful ones are the ones you do remember.
My son and d-i-l got three new dogs and four or five new pigs. I talked with them last night and they sent me pictures of all the new animals today, this also has cheered me up.
Sisters, be blessed and cheer someone up today.
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I’ve read the Psalms but did not know who Asaph was, so I decided to do a little background research on him. Here is the info I found from Gotquestions.com (love this site) and I’ve pasted it here for you guys if you are interested:
There were a number of Levites that King David assigned as worship leaders in the tabernacle choir, according to 1 Chronicles 6:31–32. Asaph was one of these men (1 Chronicles 6:39). Asaph’s duties are described in detail in 1 Chronicles 16. According to 2 Chronicles 29:30, both Asaph and David were skilled singers and poets. Asaph is also mentioned as a “seer” or prophet. The “sons of Asaph” are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 20:14, and Ezra 2:41. The sons of Asaph were likely a guild of skilled poets and singers, modeling themselves musically after Asaph, their master. The church musicians of our day can be considered spiritual “children of Asaph.”
Psalms 50 and 73—83 are called the “Psalms of Asaph” because his name appears in the superscription at the head of those psalms. Regarding Asaph’s role as a prophet, of particular interest is the imprecatory Psalm 83, which deals with God’s judgment of Israel’s enemies: Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, the Hagarites, Gebal, Ammon, the Amalekites, Philistia, Tyre, and Assyria. If we examine the psalms written by Asaph, we can see that all of them have to do with the judgment of God, and many involve the prayers of the people at the prospect or moment of a particular event.
Asaph was a gifted individual. He understood where the gift came from, and he used his music to praise the Lord and communicate His Word to a needy world.
Michelle P- I love that song from Ghost Ship! That is one of my favorite Christian bands. Also, thank you for the encouragment the other day and prayers for you as you embark on your new adventure.
Heidi – Praying for you.
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This jumped out at me too! It’s a rough morning. We moved 20 hours away from friends, family, and the town I spent my whole life in about a year ago. Some days I still wake up bitter about it. I know without a doubt it is God’s plan for us to be here but sometimes my soul needs a talking too! I discovered the SRT podcast after dropping my husband off at the airport to interview for his current position. Once we moved in a were settled, I realized I HAD to dive back into His Word and presence to get myself back on track. Before we found a church home, I started doing the SRT studies. God’s presence has been my good! It’s been a lifeline of companionship, structure, steadiness, and has quieted the screams of frustration. I love how this translation summed up what I’ve been thinking into 5 words: God’s presence is my good!
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My day started in dread as I contemplated shifting into the “dark” Psalms. Then I viewed the recently released pictures from space of the “Phantom Galaxy and all that weight lifted. My dread turned to worship as I contemplated the vast expanse and my/our place in creation. God does not forget what he has so lovingly created. He has been providing for us even when we were unaware. I can’t answer the deep questions of the Psalmist or even my own. I can only rest in the truth of His presence and will.“ Who is man that God should be mindful of him?” “Where were we when he laid the foundation of the earth and set its boundaries?” Maybe I should spend more time asking God to remind me of his faithfulness then asking him to remember me.
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I admire the boldness others have through prayer, as Asaph shows here. There is beauty in his words, even though he cries out to God at first, his words turn to God Himself as the refuge, strength of his heart, his portion. It reminds me of Lamentations 3:21-26.
@Molly R That’s wonderful – since leaving social media and the news sources years ago, my life has become less complicated and dreary. It’s like a fog has been lifted and I can think more clearly. What an inspiration you are to your children and family.
@Kyle Lara Thank you for sharing! I love that about God – He is a safe sounding board for all of our crazy emotions. He’s heard it all! He’s just glad we acknowledge Him and seek Him as a friend. It’s a great reminder – what a friend we have in Jesus. Do I treat Jesus as my best friend? Who do I communicate with the most in my life?
@Helen L, praying for you.
@Michelle Patire Amen! We definitely cannot transform ourselves, and spending time in His presence helps us to gain perspective. Sometimes we still don’t understand, but that’s where trust and faith kick in. I am reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9 ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”” And Proverbs 3:5-6… “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” It’s such a learning process for me to release control to Him, but God is so good through it all!
@Oluseye Ashiru I did the same today! I just watched some of the Chosen last night and I remember how the disciples would pray in the morning, so I immediately grabbed my phone and opened it to She Reads Truth! Creating a shortcut on my home screen really helped me get into the routine (I use the website not the app, since it’s easier for me to comment.) @Heidi, that’s one of my go-to songs to eradicate fear and worry, because I can recall the song quickly out of habit. It’s a great tool for calling out the enemy with God’s Truth. Praying for you Heidi.
@Kristen Thanks for the reminder to check out the Enduring Word commentary. I still have the other one open that you referenced. I want to get into the habit of digging deeper on there too and reading different versions of the scriptures. Also, lovely prayer for the wicked. It’s so important to pray for our enemies, thank you for that reminder too.
There’s so many amazing insights here from all of you. It feels so good to be together in God’s Word every morning and to meditate and pray in His presence. Such peace! <3 have a wonderful day ladies.
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